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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · wax · swing · cue · last · bulb · charge · root

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. swing — music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — a hint
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. last — finally
  11. bulb — for light
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — a price
  14. root — of a word
  15. last — to go on
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a signal
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. charge — electricity
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com